Overview

• On August 5, 2025, the Berlin Senate declared the citizens’ ad-ban proposal legally admissible while rejecting its core aim of banning digital outdoor advertising.
• The city parliament now faces a four-month deadline to adopt the draft unchanged or trigger a second signature campaign from January to April 2026 requiring support from at least seven percent of voters.
• The Volksentscheid Berlin werbefrei initiative seeks to outlaw digital billboards, advertising in schools and authorities, and building wraps while preserving classic posters and imposing strict sponsorship rules.
• The Senate argued that existing regulations already protect public space aesthetics, prevent visual clutter and uphold state neutrality, making further restrictions unnecessary.
• Supporters including the Greens and The Left have backed the campaign’s goals and contrasted its progress with a similar Hamburg effort that collapsed in May after falling short of required signatures.